Can body blank registration apparatus



Aug. 11, 1964 E. LAXO CAN BODY BLANK REGISTRATION APPARATUS g o mm INVENTOR.

ED LAXO 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Filed May 3, 1962 Aug. '11, 1964 E; LAXO CAN BODY BLANK REGISTRATION APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 3, 1962 INVENTOR.

ED LAXO Aug. 11, 1964 E. LAXQ 3,143,990

CAN BODY BLANK REGISTRATION APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ED LAXO By W 6% ATTORN EY E. LAXO 3,143,990

Aug. 11, 1964 CAN BODY BLANK REGISTRATION APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 3, 1962 FlE|E| 52 INVENTOR.

so LAXO FE-'7 BY W55 United States Patent ice 3,143,990 CAN RUDY BLANK REGISTRATION APPARATUS Ed Laxo, Hayward, Calif.; Thelma E. Laxo, executrix of said Ed Laxo, deceased, assignor to Thelma E. Laxo Filed May 3, 1962, Ser. No. 192,269

Claims. (Cl. 113-415) This invention relates to a can body blank registration apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for positioning and holding can body blanks or the like during a machine operation thereon.

In the manufacture of metal cans, fiat metal blanks are subjected to successive machine operations as they are being formed into tubular can bodies. These operations may include a blanking operation, wherein a tongue for key-opened cans is formed, a notching and slitting operation and the folding operation wherein the opposite edges of the blank are folded to form hooks which are thereafter interlocked in formation of the side seams. Machines for performing these functions operate on 400 to 500 blanks per minute. Consequently, the blanks must be advanced intermittently from station to station at high rates of speed and particularly, the blanks must be located quickly and accurately at each station and held securely until the particular machine operation is completed.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide means for locating can body blanks at each station accurately and without delay.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for speedy and accurate registration of can body blanks that can be easily adjusted.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for registering can body blanks in timed relation to movement of a machine element which performs some operation on the can body blank.

In carrying out this invention, there is provided a series of back stop fingers having a vertical trailing edge relative to the direction of can movement which may be closely adjusted to mark the location of the trailing edge of a can body blank. The leading edge of the back stop finger is inclined to the path followed by the can body blanks so as to be cammed out of the Way as a blank passes beneath it. Mounted on a bar forming part of a parallelogram linkage is an array of back pusher fingers, one cooperatively associated with each of the back stop fingers. The parallel mounting bar is normally positioned up out of the path of can body blanks traveling along the track but in timed relation to operation of the machine, the bar is swung downwardly and rearwardly to cause the pusher fingers each to engage the leading edge of a can body blank and push it back into registration with the trailing edge of the back stop finger associated therewith. The means for accomplishing this movement comprises a cam member on the mounting bar which is engaged by a complementary cam member on a machine element which performs a working stroke on a can body blank located at one of the stations. Thus, at the start of the machine stroke the'cornplementary cams engage and the pusher finger locates the can body blank against the back stop finger. Then, the complementary cams hold the back stop finger in this position to secure the blank until after the machine operation is completed.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the description following when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of one-half of the machine taken from the track along which the can body blanks travel;

3,143,990 Patented Aug. 11, 1964 FIG. 2 is a View similar to FIG. 1 with portions of the apparatus removed;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the portion of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are section views taken respectively along lines 55 and 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line 77 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a section view taken along line 88 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the mounting means for a back stop finger forming part of this invention; and

FIG. 10 is a more or less schematic view of the registration means forming a part of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings with greater particularity, the machine in which the registration means of this invention is employed is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 (FIG. 3). The machine preferably includes a plurality of stations 12, 14, and 16 at which a progressive series of operations may be performed upon can body blanks. For example, station 12 may be a blanking station, station 14 a notching and slitting station and station 16 a folding station, but the particular structure and function of these stations is not a part of this invention, and therefore, will not be further described except to state that the notching and slitting station 14 includes a bracket 14a that makes a downward and upward reciprocatory stroke with an element of the machine during each operation on a can body blank.

The means for feeding the can body blanks C along the frame of the machine 17 from left to right in FIG. 1 may include a feed rail 18 which is moveable longitudinally along the track 19 through increments carrying a plurality of feeding fingers or dogs 20. Each of the feeding fingers 20 engages the trailing edge of a can body blank and moves it along from station to station with the intermittent movement of the feed rail 18. This invention is related particularly to the registration means which quickly and accurately positions a can body blank for operation of the appropriate station 12, 14 or 16. It is to be noted that the view in FIG. 1 is taken from between the feed rails 18 and that the elements of the registration device hereinafter to be described are duplicated for the opposite feed rail.

A major component of the registration device of this invention is the registration bar 24 which is pivotally mounted on the machine frame 17 to swing through a vertical plane about a hinge element 26. As shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 8, the hinge element 26 may comprise simply a cap screw or the like 27 extending through a bracket 28 secured at 29 to the frame of the machine 17, the cap screw being engaged by a lock nut 30. Thus, the entire registration assembly, all of which is carried on registration bar 24 as will hereinafter he described, may be pivoted upwardly away from the machine frame 17 for cleaning, machine adjustment or the like.

The opposite end of the registration bar 24 may be locked in its lowered, operative position shown in FIG. 1 by means of a lock latch 32 (FIGS. 3 and 4) engageable in a recess 34 cut into the registration bar 24. The lock latch 32 is pivotally mounted at 36 on a latch block 38 which is secured by any suitable means such as cap screws 39 to the frame 19 of the can making machine. A spring biased plunger 40 urges the latch 32 into the position shown in FIG. 4 wherein it locks the registration bar against inadvertent upward pivotal movement. However, the operator may release the registration bar to pivot it upwardly simply by grasping the top of the latch 32 and pulling it forward against the spring biased plunger to free its lower end from the notch 34. When the registration bar is again swung down into place the spring plunger 40 will yield and permit the latch 32 to be cammed out of the way until it is opposite the recess 34 wherein it will snap back into locking position.

A plurality of elements which contribute to the registration of can body blanks are carried on the registration bar 24, as will hereinafter be described. One series of elements carried on the registration bar is a group of three back stop fingers 42, one for each station 12, 14 and 16, each of which presents a vertical trailing edge and an upwardly inclined leading edge, relative to the movement of can body blanks. Referring particularly to FIGS. 2, and 9, each of the back stop fingers 42 is mounted in a back stop retainer 44 having a vertical slot 45 in the front face thereof which the back stop finger 42 is slidably retained. The back stop retainers 44 are in turn held in place in recesses 47 provided therefor on the registration bar 24 by means of mounting plates 46 which are secured to the front of the registration bar 24 by screws 48 or the like. The back stop mounting plates 46 are of channel-like construction in the opposite legs of which are set screws 49 by means of which the stop finger retainer 44 and, hence, the back stop finger itself 42, can be precisely located with respect to the direction of travel of the can body blanks C. A spring biased plunger 50 carried in an accommodating recess in the registration bar 24, biases each back stop finger 42 down into and across the path along which the can body blanks C travel. The stop fingers are disposed in the path of travel of can body blanks so that the vertical trailing edge of each finger 42 presents a positive stop against reverse travel of can body blanks, which will hereinafter be described, but the stop fingers permit forward travel of the blanks past them, the can body C wedging the stop finger upward against the spring biased plunger 50 by cam action against the inclined leading edge of the stop finger.

Also carried on the registration bar 24 is a series of friction shoes 52 below each station 12, 14 and 16, and an elongated friction shoe 54 at the delivery end of the machine. The friction shoes are adapted to grip the can body blanks C frictionally between increments of movement to hold the blanks against movement during the machine operation and also to press the blanks down during movement in order to prevent them from bouncing. Each of the friction shoes 52 is held in place in a recess 53 provided therefor in the registration bar 24 by means of a retainer plate 56 secured to the front of the registration bar by any suitable means such as fiat headed screws 58. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 7, each friction shoe 52 is slidably mounted within its accommodating recess 53 in the registration bar 24 for vertical movement and is yieldably biased downwardly by a spring pressed plunger 59 acting against a stop flange 52a carried at the top of the friction shoe 52. The elongated friction shoe 54 is held in place by a retainer plate 55 which may be bolted to the back side of registration bar 24 (FIG. 8).

Also carried on the registration bar 24 is a back pusher carrier or mounting bar 60 which is pivotally carried by three parallel links 62 in turn pivotally mounted at 64 to the registration bar 24. In cooperative association with each back stop finger 42 a reverse pusher finger 66 is mounted on the carrier or mounting bar 60. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and the back pusher fingers 66 are carried on retainer plates 68 which are secured to the carrier bar 60 by any suitable means such as a cap screw 69 which engages through a slot inthe mounting block 68 so that the block may be adjustably positioned relative to the back stop finger 42. Referring to FIG. 6, each mounting block 68 preferably engages the carrier bar 60 in a tongue and groove relationship with the cap screw 69 threaded into the carrier bar 60. The back pusher finger 66 may be secured to the mounting block by any suitable means, such as by cap screws, Welding or the like. It will be noted that the mounting of the back pusher finger carrier bar 60 to the registration bar 24 is a parallelogram linkage and that the carrier bar 60 is conditioned to swing from its normal position resting against the shoulder 70 extending along the registration bar, downwardly and rearwardiy against the spring 71 to carry the pusher fingers 66 into the path of a can body blank to engage the leading edge of the blank and push it back until its trailing edge engages the vertical trailing edge of the back stop finger 42.

In operation, a can body blank C is moved forwardly by engagement of the feed dogs 21) on the intermittently movable feed rail 18 to the next succeeding station until it passes completely under the back stop finger 42. Then, in timed relation with some element of the machine such as a portion of the notching slide 14a, an actuator cam 72 moves down against a complementary cam follower 74 so that cooperating wedging surfaces 73 and force the cam follower 74 and, hence, the carrier bar 60 to which it is attached at 76, toward the left in FIG. 1 to engage the leading edge of the can body blank and push it back against the back stop finger 42 as shown in FIG. 10, positively locating it for operation of the machine element at that station. After the wedge surface 73 passes by complementary wedge surface 75 as the notching slide portion 14a continues its downward stroke, the vertical edge 73a of the cam slides along the cam block 75a to hold the mounting bar 66 in its active registering position to the left in FIG. 1 holding the can body blank in registration while the notching slide 14a and other machine elements complete their operation. Then, when the notching slide 14a returns to the position shown in FIG. 1 with the cam surfaces 73, 75 free of engagement, the spring 71extending between the mounting bar 69 and the registration bar 24 returns the mounting bar to the right and upward, against the shoulder 70.

While a preferred embodiment of the registration means of this invention has been illustrated and described, it is obvious that modification and changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is defined by the claims appended hereto.

What isclaimed is:

1. In a machine for feeding can body blanks or the like intermittently along a feed rail to present said blanks to successive machine stations, work on said can body blanks at at least one of said stations being performed as a machine element moves through a reciprocatory working stroke, registration apparatus for said can body blanks comprising:

a back stop finger along the path traveled by can body blanks,

said back stop finger having a trailing stop surface disposed normal to said path and a leading cam surface disposed at an angle to said path,

yieldable means biasing said back stop finger into the path of can body blanks,

said yieldable means being adapted to be overcome by the engagement of a can body blank against said cam surface,

a carrier member mounted in a parallel linkage along and above said path,

a back pusher finger on said carrier member,

resilient means biasing said carrier member forward of and above said path to hold said pusher finger out of said path,

a first cam member on said carrier member, and

a complementary cam member on said machine element normally displaced from said first cam memher,

said complementary cam member being adapted during a reciprocatory stroke thereof to engage said first cam member and move said carrier member rearwardly of and toward said path to cause said pusher finger to engage the leading edge of a can body blank and push said can body blank rearward until the trailing edge thereof engages the stop surface of said back stop finger and to hold said carrier member in such position until said machine element returns toward its normal position.

2. In a machine for feeding can body blanks or the like, intermittently along a track to present said blanks to successive machine stations, work on said can body blanks at at least one of said stations being performed as a machine element moves through a reciprocatory Working stroke, registration apparatus for said can body blanks comprising:

a series of back stop fingers along the path traveled by can body blanks, each of said back stop fingers having a trailing stop surface disposed normal to said path and a leading cam surface disposed at an angle to said track,

yieldable means biasing each of said back stop fingers into the path of can body blanks,

said yieldable means being adapted to be overcome by the engagement of a can body blank against said cam surface,

a carrier bar disposed generally parallel to and above said path and mounted on a parallel linkage,

an array of back pusher fingers on said carrier bar,

each of said back pusher fingers being spaced in the direction of can body movement along said path from one of said back stop fingers,

resilient means biasing said carrier bar forwardly of and above said path to hold said pusher fingers out of said path, a first cam member on said carrier bar, and a complementary cam member on said machine element normally displaced from said first cam member,

said complementary cam members being engageable during a reciprocatory stroke thereof with said first cam member to move said carrier bar rearwardly of and toward said path to cause each of said pusher fingers to engage the leading edge of a can body blank and push said can body blank rearward until the trailing edge thereof engages the stop surface of a back stop finger and to hold said carrier bar in such position until said machine element returns toward its normal position.

3. In a machine for feeding can body blanks or the like intermittently along a track to present said blanks to suecessive machine stations, work on said can body blanks at at least one of said stations being performed as a machine element moving through a reciprocatory working stroke, registration apparatus for said can body blanks comprising:

a registration bar generally parallel to and above the path traveled by can body blanks,

a series of back stop fingers slidably mounted on said registration bar,

each of said back stop fingers having a trailing stop surface disposed normal to said path and a leading cam surface disposed at an angle to said path,

yieldable means biasing each of said back stop fingers into the path of can body blanks,

said yieldable means being adapted to be overcome by the engagement of a can body blank against said cam surface,

a carrier bar disposed generally parallel to said path and mounted on said registration bar by a parallel linkage,

an array of back pusher fingers on said carrier bar,

resilient means on said registration bar biasing said mounting bar forwardly of and away from said path to hold said pusher fingers out of said path,

a first cam member on said carrier bar, and

a complementary cam member on said machine element normally displaced from said first cam member,

said complementary cam member being engageable during a reciprocatory stroke thereof with said first cam member to move said carrier bar rearwardly of and toward said path to cause each of said pusher fingers to engage the leading edge of a can body blank and push said can body blank rearward until the trailing edge thereof engages the stop surface of a back stop finger and to hold said carrier bar in such position until said machine element returns towards its normal position 4. The registration apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said registration bar is pivotally mounted at one end on said machine and including latch means for securing said registration bar releasably in operative position generally parallel to said path.

5. The combination defined by claim 2 including:

a registration bar pivotally mounted on said machine for movement from an operative position generally parallel to and above said path to a second position upwardly and angularly displaced therefrom, and

latch means for releasably securing said registration bar in said operative position,

said back stop fingers and said parallel linkage mounting for said carrier bar being mounted on said registration bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,547,642 Casal July 28, 1925 1,917,359 Cameron July 11, 1933 2,329,392 Crane Sept. 14, 1943 2,387,766 Moore Oct. 30, 1945 2,480,192 Laxo Aug. 30, 1949 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR FEEDING CAN BODY BLANKS OR THE LIKE INTERMITTENTLY ALONG A FEED RAIL TO PRESENT SAID BLANKS TO SUCCESSIVE MACHINE STATIONS, WORK ON SAID CAN BODY BLANKS AT AT LEAST ONE OF SAID STATIONS BEING PERFORMED AS A MACHINE ELEMENT MOVES THROUGH A RECIPROCATORY WORKING STROKE, REGISTRATION APPARATUS FOR SAID CAN BODY BLANKS COMPRISING: A BACK STOP FINGER ALONG THE PATH TRAVELED BY CAN BODY BLANKS, SAID BACK STOP FINGER HAVING A TRAILING STOP SURFACE DISPOSED NORMAL TO SAID PATH AND A LEADING CAM SURFACE DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO SAID PATH, YIELDABLE MEANS BIASING SAID BACK STOP FINGER INTO THE PATH OF CAN BODY BLANKS, SAID YIELDABLE MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO BE OVERCOME BY THE ENGAGEMENT OF A CAN BODY BLANK AGAINST SAID CAM SURFACE, A CARRIER MEMBER MOUNTED IN A PARALLEL LINKAGE ALONG AND ABOVE SAID PATH, A BACK PUSHER FINGER ON SAID CARRIER MEMBER, RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID CARRIER MEMBER FORWARD OF AND ABOVE SAID PATH TO HOLD SAID PUSHER FINGER OUT OF SAID PATH, A FIRST CAM MEMBER ON SAID CARRIER MEMBER, AND A COMPLEMENTARY CAM MEMBER ON SAID MACHINE ELEMENT NORMALLY DISPLACED FROM SAID FIRST CAM MEMBER, SAID COMPLEMENTARY CAM MEMBER BEING ADAPTED DURING A RECIPROCATORY STROKE THEREOF TO ENGAGE SAID FIRST CAM MEMBER AND MOVE SAID CARRIER MEMBER REARWARDLY OF AND TOWARD SAID PATH TO CAUSE SAID PUSHER FINGER TO ENGAGE THE LEADING EDGE OF A CAN BODY BLANK AND PUSH SAID CAN BODY BLANK REARWARD UNTIL THE TRAILING EDGE THEREOF ENGAGES THE STOP SURFACE OF SAID BACK STOP FINGER AND TO HOLD SAID CARRIER MEMBER IN SUCH POSITION UNTIL SAID MACHINE ELEMENT RETURNS TOWARD ITS NORMAL POSITION. 